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Holocene Extinction (Starlight)
The Holocene Extinction, also referred to as the 6th Mass Extinction and Anthropocene Extinction, is the ongoing extinction event of species during the present Holocene epoch, mainly as a result of human activity. The large number of extinctions spans numerous families of plants and animals, including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods. With widespread degradation of highly biodiverse habitats such as coral reefs and rainforests, as well as other areas, the vast majority of these extinctions are thought to be undocumented, as no one is even aware of the existence of the species before they go extinct, or no one has yet discovered their extinction. The current rate of extinction of species is estimated at 100 to 1,000 times higher than natural background rates. The Holocene extinction includes the disappearance of large land animals known as megafauna, starting at the end of the last Ice Age. Megafauna outside of the African continent, which did not evolve alongside humans, proved highly sensitive to the introduction of new predation, and many died out shortly after early humans began spreading and hunting across the Earth (additionally, many African species have also gone extinct in the Holocene). These extinctions, occurring near the Pleistocene–Holocene boundary, are sometimes referred to as the Quaternary extinction event. The arrival of humans on different continents coincides with megafaunal extinction. Human overhunting of species added to existing stress conditions. Although there is debate regarding how much human predation affected their decline, certain population declines have been directly correlated with human activity, such as the extinction events of New Zealand and Hawaii. Aside from humans, climate change was also a driving factor in the megafaunal extinctions. Quaternary Extinction Event With the first casualties occurring around 130,000 years ago came the beginning of this event. The majority of species began dying out 46,000 years ago (In places such as Australia), 12,000 years ago (In South and North America) and just 2000 years ago in Madagascar. This left the last remaining megafauna outside of Africa in a weak state and vulnerable to further human destruction. These deaths were largely due to human overhunting and exploitation of the environment. Although some populations of animals such as the Mammoth survived into the Holocene, ultimately they met their fate due to human involvement. Well known creatures such as the Mammoth, Masotodon, Giant Beaver, Megalania, Woolly Rhinoceros, Giant Ground Sloth, Sabre-toothed cat and more were wiped from the face of the planet during this time. In South America, the largest mammal was reduced down to an overgrown rodent, the capybara, the red kangaroo in Australia, the bison in North America and Europe, and the Elephant in Africa and Asia. Holocene Extinction The Holocene extinction is the 6th and current mass extinction effecting Earth. Debatably beginning around the year 1500, it has resulted in the extirpation of countless iconic plants and animals, as well as a large majority of the other diverse lifeforms on the planet. Mammals, Amphibians, Fish and Invertebrates were hit the worst, with more than 50% of their species going extinct. Many animals, both expected and unexpected to, went extinct between 2020 and 2095. Carnivora Shocking the scientific community, all carnivoran families suffered greatly. With the exception of the domesticated dog and cat, as well as the Red Fox, many species perished or became extinct in the wild during the 2050s and 2060s. There was a significant impact on Felines, Canids, Ursids, and various smaller families. Proboscidea As expected by many, elephant populations across Afro-Eurasia continued to decline drastically. In the late 2030s, the Asian Elephant population numbered just 860, cornered in a small area of Northern Borneo, when an illegal, last-ditch effort to save the species was carried out and a significant number of them were transported to the rainforests of Southern Guyana. Since then, the population remaining in North Borneo has fallen to just 180, while the Guyanese population has reached 1,320. Sadly, the Forest Elephant was not so lucky, and by the time a plan was put forward to save the species in 2026, it was too late. This was just two years after Hilary Clinton’s prediction of 2024, and 12 years since she said so. Meanwhile, the African Bush Elephant is currently extinct in the wild, with around 300 of them living in a highly-guarded, fenced-off sanctuary in Namibia. Species effected by the Mass Extinction: *Loxodonta africana *Loxodonta cyclotis† *Elephas Maximus Category:Starlight Category:Holocene